But it all changed with a simple, yet chilling message: “Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified.” It was a bolt from the blue.A sense of disbelief took over. What happened?
She had failed to maintain her weight and was found to be nearly 100 grams overweight.
It was cruel. To put 100g in perspective, that’s how much a bar of soap or two eggs weigh. Vinesh had waged epic battles. She led the protest against the federation chief, took him to court for alleged sexual harassment. She slept on the street at Jantar Mantar and faced police’s hostility.
She could not train for almost a year, but there was this unfinished business. She returned to the mat. She failed to qualify in the 53kg category, her category, and settled for 50kg. She had to be in Paris.
How did this mishap happen? Vinesh had no trouble at Tuesday morning’s weigh-in. Amidst three back-to-back bouts, she kept replenishing with fluids and some food. That’s a normal routine amid multiple exhausting contests But it adds to body weight. Wrestlers and their support staff know that. It is always a challenge.
Vinesh did not speak to media after winning her semifinal against her Cuban rival Tuesday evening. Her eyes signalled she had much to say. “Kal baat karoongi (Will talk tomorrow),” she said, secure in the fact that she was the first Indian woman wrestler in an Olympics gold medal fight.
But she added, “Weight manage karna hai abhi.” She knew she had crossed the limit. They all do. It was going to be a challenge. Sources said she was 2.7kg above limit. She didn’t sleep. She jogged, cycled, sat in the sauna, did everything to “manage” her weight. She failed. The world around her had crumbled.
#Vinesh #Phogats #disqualification #Paris #Olympics #100g #crush #billion #hopes #turn #dream #gold #dust #Paris #Olympics #News #Times #India
